Tokyo Verdy

Football club infobox
clubname = Tokyo Verdy
東京ヴェルディ


fullname = Tokyo Verdy
nickname = Verdy
founded = 1969
ground = Ajinomoto Stadium
Chōfu, Tokyo
capacity = 50,100
chairman = Yasuo Shimada
manager = Tetsuji Hashiratani(2008-)
league = J. League Div.1
season = 2007
position = 2nd (promoted)
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leftarm2=dddddd|body2=dddddd|rightarm2=dddddd|shorts2=dddddd|socks2=ddddddnihongo|Tokyo Verdy|東京ヴェルディ|Tōkyō Verudi, formally "Tokyo Verdy 1969" and "Verdy Kawasaki", is a soccer team which plays in Division 1 of Japan's J. League. Verdy's home stadium is Ajinomoto Stadium, which it shares with F.C. Tokyo, although many home matches are played in other stadiums in Tokyo, including Tokyo National Stadium.

History

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Early years

From its days as Yomiuri F.C., the ownership had visions of a soccer equivalent of the baseball Yomiuri Giants, a star-studded powerhouse with fans across Japan. As Japanese soccer began its transition from the JSL to the J. League in the early 1990s, it invested heavily in stars and featured internationals Kazuyoshi Miura, Ruy Ramos and Tsuyoshi Kitazawa.

The team immediately met expectations, winning the last two JSL championships as Yomiuri F.C. in 1990/1991 and 1991/1992, and then winning the first two championships as Verdy Kawasaki in 1993 and 1994, effectively winning four straight Japanese league titles making a total of seven overall; the highest in the Japanese system. Verdy also won the 1995/1996 Emperor's Cup and three consecutive J. League Cups from 1992 to 1994.

Mid- to late 90s

This early success did not last, however, and as the stars aged, the team's performance suffered. Verdy's 1st place finish in the 2nd Stage of the 1995 season would be its last stage victory and the 1996 Emperor's Cup would be its last major title of the decade. A downturn in the national economy and the cooling of the J. League fad meant all teams had to cut expenses. This meant Verdy could no longer buy expensive replacements for its aging stars.

In 1996, the team dropped to 7th place overall, the lowest finish in the league's existence at that point, and would fall further in 1997, finishing 16th and 12th, in the 1st Stage and 2nd Stage, respectively, and 15th overall out of 17 teams. Although Verdy looked to return to prominence in 1999, finishing 2nd in the 1st Stage, the resurgence was short-lived as it fell to 10th in the 2nd Stage.

Meanwhile, the team's efforts to become "Japan's Team" alienated local fans in Kawasaki. The expensive salaries and struggling attendance caused the club's debts to mount. Struggling to compete with the newly professionalised crosstown rival Kawasaki Frontale and the nearby Yokohama Marinos and Yokohama Flugels, Verdy made the decision to leave Kawasaki.

Tokyo years

In 2001, the team moved from Kawasaki to Chōfu, Tokyo and was re-named "Tokyo Verdy 1969" to reflect the new hometown and the club's origins as Yomiuri F.C. Although Verdy made the move to increase its fan base and distance itself from its rivals, by this time Tokyo was already home to a J1 team in F.C. Tokyo. Despite a sharp increase in crowd numbers for Verdy, this was still well below those of F.C. Tokyo. Their new local rivals had been promoted to J1 in 2000 and had already captured a vast number of the supporters Verdy had been hoping to acquire.

In its first year in Tokyo, Verdy found itself trailing F.C. Tokyo in the standings as well, and finished last in the division at 16th in the first stage of the 2001 season. Only the play of midseason acquisition Edmundo and a win in the final match of the second stage saved the club from relegation to J2. Verdy was back at the bottom of the table in the first stage of the 2002 season, but again finished the season strong, placing 4th in the second stage.

Two mid-table finishes followed in 2003 and 2004 followed, before Verdy won the Emperor's Cup on January 1, 2005, its first major title in 9 years and the first in Tokyo. Winning the cup earned Verdy a spot in the 2006 AFC Champions League. [http://www.afcchampionsleague.com/en/tournament/teams.asp?cid=1310&sqid=253]

However, in 2005 Verdy fell to its worst finish of its history, finishing 17th out of 18. This was the first season after the scrapping of the two-stage season format, and Verdy were relegated to J2. The season was marked by three huge losses in July, 1-7 to Gamba Osaka on July 2, 0-7 to Urawa Red Diamonds on July 6 and 6-0 to Jubilo Iwata on July 17. However, the struggling Verdy upset European giant Real Madrid, in Asia on a preseason tour, by a score of 3-0. [http://www.rediff.com/sports/2005/jul/25real1.htm]

Relegated to J2

In 2006, with the team coached by former Verdy Kawasaki legend Ruy Ramos, Verdy found itself in the odd position of competing in the AFC Champions League while playing in the second tier of the national league system. After Verdy was relegated, it released many of the veteran players, leaving a core of young players, most notably Takayuki Morimoto, who became the youngest player to score in the J. League at age 15 in 2004. [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=299412&cc=5901]

After a disappointing 2006 season in J2, Coach Ramos stated that if his team did not win the first game of the 2007 season, he would step down as head coach. Verdy managed to beat Kusatsu 5-0 on the first day. After a brief scuffle with Sapporo over the J2 title, Verdy had to settle for runner-up - still good enough to earn promotion back into the top flight for 2008. At this time the club renamed itself for the second time, dropping "1969" from its name, thereby formally severing its link with its city of origin.

Titles

* Japan Soccer League (1983, 1984, 1986/87, 1990/91, 1991/92)
* Japan Soccer League Division 2 (1974, 1977)
* J. League (1993, 1994)
* JSL/J. League Cup (1979, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
* Emperor's Cup (1996/97, 2004/05)
* Xerox Super Cup (1984, 1994, 1995, 2005)
* AFC Club Championship (1988)
* Sanwa Bank Cup (1994)

Team Record

J.League

Other domestic competitions

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=Super Cup=

Other Sports

Verdy is a polideportivo and also fields teams in women's football, volleyball, and triathlon. The women's football team is called NTV Beleza and they play in the L. League.

Trivia

*A fictional character named Hajime Taki from the popular Captain Tsubasa manga, becomes a professional soccer player and joins Tokyo Verdy 1969.

ee also

*Milton Keynes Dons F.C. of Milton Keynes, England, formerly Wimbledon F.C. of London.
*Atlante Fútbol Club, formerly of Mexico City, Mexico, now based in Cancún.
*Relocation of professional sports teams.

External links

*jp icon [http://www.verdy.co.jp/ Official Site]
*en icon [http://www.wldcup.com/Asia/j2/verdy.html Rising Sun News: Tokyo Verdy 1969]

J. League
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Original J. League clubs